I’ve seen several posts in the past few days on social media about “the matrix” and “returning to the energies of 2020,” and I’d like to add something to the mix for reflection purposes.

As soon as we take a human form, we’re living in a matrix. We are living in a particular reality, a particular set of agreements that creates outcomes, and a particular set of systems that influences those outcomes. This is the container for having a human incarnation at the current time. We have physical bodies that interact in the physical world, and we do not always get to decide what that physical world looks like. These physical bodies are not ALL of ourselves, but they are where a certain focus of our conscious awareness is placed for the duration of our physical lives.

There is no permanent “unplugging” – as glamourous or tempting as that may seem, until we leave these bodies. I love The Matrix movie (instant goal on my first viewing was to rock a trench coat as coolly as Trinity; remains on the list of current life goals), and I am not knocking the concept. I’m reflecting that taking a blue pill or a red pill is not the answer to the human anxiety of existing in our world. It’s just not that simple. 

We are living in a time where we’re fortunate enough to have access to an incredible amount of information, perhaps an overwhelming amount of information. Many of us are fortunate enough to know the impact of our thoughts on our wellbeing, to have access to technology that helps us to live more fulfilling and healthy lives, and – in many cases – to be able to choose which information will influence us and our decisions.

For as long as there have been humans, there’s been a desire for the simple solution and the quick scoop. The town crier in the old days didn’t shout out lengthy paragraphs, it was strictly catchy headlines for the most part. If you walk into a supermarket these days, you’ll see a present-day version of those shouty headlines in the newspaper / magazine section, and as soon as you open a news site or social media on your phone you are inundated with bite-size, attention-grabbing sounds and words zinging off the screen at you.

But we are a complex species, and we live within a complex and intertwined set of systems. We do not all start out with the same resources or access to the same resources, whether in the realms of love, finances, education, health. I saw a post the other day with a very wealthy “manifestation” influencer talking about how money isn’t real. Now while energetically, she may well have a point, money feels very real when the bills come due or a child needs dinner and there isn’t the financial resources there to meet those needs. No amount of telling the electric company that “money isn’t real” is going to persuade them not to turn off the heating. The systems in which that influencer lives are the same as many of us, but her “unreal” money insulates her and affords her the luxury of disregarding certain aspects.

Similarly, I’ve seen a few trends lately that again suggest that everything going on in the world right now is a “distraction.” This comes mainly from the so-called spiritual side of social media, and it always deeply disappoints me. It plays in to the divisive energies that we really do not need right now. Yes I agree – there isn’t a government on this world that is running things perfectly or indeed even competently. Does dismissing this reality and the mainstream media as “the matrix” and therefore unworthy of our attention really help? Or does it just mean that a whole lot of very powerful people, with kind, loving hearts and a lot of useful information about how to energetically affect the reality in an uplifting way on this world just… check out? Not get involved? Does it mean instead that those without such kind hearts or visionary and inclusive ideals get to run the show?

I’m all for being informed but not overwhelmed, and I’ve taken my own news breaks lately! But I have that luxury, and I am all too aware of it being a luxury. Countries being invaded, wars starting, lack of investment in housing or health-service, cost-of-living issues – all of these things are happening within the systems in which we all collectively live, whether or not you are paying attention to them. 

If you have a human body, you are living in some kind of physical reality, and there genuinely isn’t some Master Plan of Evil Genius behind it all. There are, simply, people. Imperfectly human people. People who have grown up within imperfect, imbalanced systems which have not prioritised kindness, compassion, equity, love or peace. People who have learned to justify their own desire for power, money or influence as being for the greater good. And yes, there are energetic beings who genuinely thrive on chaos and angst, and who will be drawn to the energetic mood and try to influence it. But at the core of it all: people. Messy, imperfect, human people. 

Some people with big loving hearts have tried to bring in change within these systems for the betterment of all, and some people with fearful hearts have tried to bring in change that works for certain aspects of societies. It has been this way for a very long time here. The weightiness of these structures is vast and clunky by now. And they can feel terrifying and overwhelming when viewed from the perspective of one individual human body.

This is why we look for answers, for solutions, for something that feels better, more empowering, more action-focused. Something that gives an illusion of control. It comes from a place of fear. And there is a lot of fear in our world right now, and a lot of frustration, anger, even hate. I would ask you to look at those responses within yourself and offer yourself some compassion. And after that, take a pause. Please don’t check out. Burning down our house with us all inside makes no sense. Pretending like the house isn’t burning all around us also makes no sense. Maybe there’s a different way?

I have hope. Maybe you’d call it faith. Maybe you’d call it illusion. Maybe you’d call it truth. But I have hope in people. I have hope in our world and in the beings that inhabit it. I believe that most people recognise kindness, even if they don’t always trust it very much. I believe we can come together to inspire others, to lead from our hearts, to stand up for those who have been beaten down, and to go forward with more peace on our world. But that’s going to take some time, and it’s going to take some involvement and some action from everyone. There is no simple response, no one party, no one leader, no one idea – there is a weaving of multiple strands, and we all hold responsibility for that. We all bring our gifts to the table, if we choose.

We are part of the great human web of light on Gaia. We are influenced energetically by each other, whether we feel it or not. Your choice right now to offer your fear compassion, and to move forward anyway with love in your heart – that makes a difference. We do make a difference with our choice of focus: energetically, mentally and physically.

We could co-create a matrix that we’re proud of, that we love, that uplifts all of us. Maybe even one where there are cool, shiny trench coats in all kinds of colours, not just the classic black… I think Trinity might approve of that.